Tag Archives: romance

Alone and exhausted after her month-long sojourn as a shooting star, Solina Mundy flees to southern California to lie low, recuperate, and plot a survival strategy. The one person she trusts to watch her back is her best friend, Skyla Ramirez. But Skyla has been missing for weeks.

The arrival of a dangerous stranger and the discovery of a legendary weapon of mass destruction force Solina out of hiding and back into the fight for her life. Solina knows she won’t last long on her own. She must find out what happened to Skyla and unite her contentious allies if she hopes to track down this devastating weapon before her enemies use it to burn the world to ash.

Ok, I thought Midnight Burning (book 1 in The Norse Chronicles) was good. But, Karissa really stepped up her game in Arctic Dawn (book two). She had MORE battles, MORE suspense, and MORE shocking revelations. She also introduced golems to us. They are men formed entirely out of stone, clay, and rock. They were hard to defeat which made for fantastic fight scenes!

Throughout Arctic Dawn, Karissa made me doubt everyone who’s aligned with Solina. Every word, every action was examined under my mental microscope and I loved every moment of deciphering who was friend and who was foe.

If you liked Midnight Burning, trust me, you’re going to LOVEArctic Dawn! And I bet after you read Arctic Dawn you’ll be eager to read Molten Dusk (book three) because, like me, you just have to know what happens next.

Karissa lives in North Carolina with her kid, her husband, the occasional in-law, and a very hairy husky named Bonnie. Some of her favorite things are coffee, dark chocolate, super heroes and Star Wars. She can quote Princess Bride verbatim. In the summer she’s camping, kayaking, and boating at the lake, and in the winter, she’s curled up with a good book.

When the police notify Solina Mundy that her twin brother, Mani, is dead, she heads for Alaska. Once there, she begins to suspect Mani’s friends know more about his death than they’ve let on. Skyla, an ex-Marine, is the only one willing to help her.

As Solina and Skyla delve into the mystery surrounding Mani’s death, Solina is stunned to learn that her own life is tied to Mani’s friends, his death, and the fate of the entire world. If she can’t learn to control her newfound gifts and keep her friends safe, a long-lost dominion over mortals will rise again, and everything she knows will fall into darkness.

Karissa’s modern-day take on the Norse gods and goddesses was quite fascinating. In Midnight Burning, mortals no longer believed in gods and goddesses but they haven’t vanished. In actuality, they live among us in plain sight. This twist reminded me a bit of a television show, American Gods. In that show, gods and goddesses walked among us, battled each other, but that’s really where the similarities ended.

In Midnight Burning, Karissa wrote about a woman, Solina, who didn’t know how special she really was or extent of the power that lies within her. She was the sun. She was able to exude light from her pores and burn things to ash. She was fearless. She was ready to take on everyone and everything that stepped in her way. She was pretty badass when she wanted to be.

Admittedly, there were parts of the story that seemed to drag but when Karissa allowed Solina to shine the pages seemed to fly by.

As I read the final page, I immediately wanted to start book two, Arctic Dawn. Unfortunately, I didn’t have this book but I knew I had to remedy this quickly. Karissa left me intrigued, dying to know where Solina’s journey took her next. I had to know what became of certain characters and if Solina would allow Thorin to capture her heart.

When you read a book in a series and instantly want more, then that’s the sign of a good storyteller… a good book.

Karissa Laurel is such an author and Midnight Burning was that book.

I encourage fans of mythology to purchase this book and the rest of the series. I have a feeling the rest will be just as entertaining as this one.

Karissa lives in North Carolina with her kid, her husband, the occasional in-law, and a very hairy husky named Bonnie. Some of her favorite things are coffee, dark chocolate, super heroes and Star Wars. She can quote Princess Bride verbatim. In the summer she’s camping, kayaking, and boating at the lake, and in the winter, she’s curled up with a good book.

For the past seven years, straight-laced Sable Stephenson has been dedicated to her studies, leaving little time for pleasure. Even with graduation in sight, her drive begins to falter, so she accepts a friend’s suggestion for a carefree Spring Break to clear the cobwebs. A little dancing, a few drinks…she’d be back on track in no time. But falling for sexy club owner Tomas Mancini isn’t part of the deal. He’s fourteen years her senior and a Dom, yet he arouses fantasies she’s never even dreamed of. One night of passion turns to more, and Sable must decide if she can handle the kink in her plans for the future or if it will lead her down the perfect path.

As Sable watched others, she felt herself being swept up in the sensual atmosphere, moving her body seductively.

At one point, she closed her eyes and raised her arms, allowing the music to become her partner. The rhythm flowed through her body, moving her at its will. Her skin heated, tingled, and she felt her nipples pebble in excitement as a sheen of sweat began to form.

Song after song played, and Sable lost track of time, just enjoying the here and now. Glancing around, she admired the various dress and masks of the patrons.

How could something as simple as covering your face enable you to become another person and act completely out of character? She smiled to herself and closed her eyes once again, letting the music guide her.

Suddenly warmth engulfed her backside as a body moved close to hers. While she should have been startled, she felt aroused and excited as she instantly recognized Tomas’s cologne. It was as unique and memorable as the man himself. It was intoxicating.

As images from her dream came to mind, she wondered if they had been a premonition of what was to come.
His fingers ghosted along her raised arms and continued down her side until his hands landed gently yet commandingly on her hips. As his chest pressed into her back, his mouth perched next to her right ear and whispered seductively to her.
“Il mio angelo, sei bellissima.”

Sable knew enough to recognize angel and beautiful. She nearly whimpered at his words, thinking how sexy he sounded; how they made her feel sexy. Her body moved against his as her hands found their way to the back of his head. She realized he wore no mask as she threaded her fingers in his hair, holding him in place while he gave attention to her neck. Nibbles with his lips and scrapes with his teeth set her aflame. She leaned against his shoulder as she let out a moan.

“Three days I have held back when I have wanted you from the start. You tempt me, bewitch me; sei magnifico.”

“I, I don’t know you…”

“You will, cara mia, you will.”

Sable’s mind went blank, pushing aside rational thought to only feel. She might not know Tomas, but somehow she knew he’d never hurt her. He’d only give her pleasure. Perhaps Devyn was right, and she needed this, if only for right now.

All Sable could think about was letting go of her careful control and allowing someone else to take the reins. She may not know what tomorrow would bring, or even next week, but tonight wasn’t about then. It was about this moment.
When Sable tried to turn in Tomas’s arms, he held her to him, his hands linking with hers and bringing them down to their sides. Once again he whispered in her ear.

“Let me hold you like this a moment longer while we dance. Let everyone see your beauty, and envy me, because I am the one who has you in his arms.”

“You flatter me, Tomas.” She began to shake her head and deny his words. “I—”

“Shh shh, do not doubt what I say. You are marvelous; meravigliosa, and I am honored to have your trust.” He then spun her around, bringing their chests together as he stared down at her with such longing, she wondered if she was reading him correctly. “Do I have your trust, Sable?”

She grinned as she answered. “Si, bello.”

And just like that, Tomas’s eyes darkened as a smile took shape on those sinful lips. Lips Sable wanted on hers, but settled for them landing on her cheek. For now.
“Perfetto.”

One hand held hers to his chest while the other pressed into the small of her back, keeping her close as they swayed to the slow music. Sable felt comfort, she felt protected, but she also felt empowered to do what she never imagined she’d ever do. She was considering letting herself go and giving in to this urge to be with Tomas.

~~ Don’t forget to check out book one in the series, Resort Virgins! ~~

Print Length: 56 pages

After twenty-five years of marriage, Violet and Max agree their vanilla sex life needs a little spice. Spending their anniversary at a tropical fantasy resort just might open the door to a new love life and bring them closer together. But engaging in pleasure with another couple produces different results for each of them, and unleashed desires could do more harm than good and ruin their marriage after all.

Three years ago, Rikki Albemarle watched her best friend die at the hands of a supernatural evil. Certain she was slated to be the next victim, Rikki fled her small Smoky Mountain hometown, vowing to never come back. Plagued by nightmares and knowing she’s the only one who believes Mina’s death was no accident, Rikki returns with hopes of finding answers and holding the killer accountable.

Rikki is convinced the key to unlocking the secret of Mina’s death lies with Owen Amir, the alluring young army vet who once claimed her heart. But the deeper Rikki digs into Owen’s past, the more she’s torn between the urgings of her heart and her memories of him on the night Mina died.

After falling further into the rabbit hole, Rikki lands at the feet of an ancient and powerful evil determined to finish what it started years before. To survive, she’ll have to make a decision: believe Owen is the monster she always feared he might be or trust him enough to stay and fight for a second chance at love.

I had many more questions and I needed answers. I wanted to know more about Rikki’s life — past, present and future. And it wasn’t just Rikki’s story that I wanted to know more about. Was Owen a good guy or was he a sheep in wolf’s clothing. I pressed on to the 2nd half of Touch of Smoke, looking forward to getting some answers.

In the 2nd half of Touch of Smoke, I got most of my answers. Owen finally opened up and told Rikki his deep, dark secret. A secret I won’t share because it would reveal too much about the plot.

I will admit that Rikki did annoy me at times except during the battle scene. During that section, she impressed me and then I thought…. Maybe this chick is all right after all.

As for Owen: I loved him, from first introduction to the very last page. As the legendary Salt-N-Pepa would say…

What a man, what a man, what a man,
What a mighty good man
Gotta say it again now
What a man, what a man, what a man,
What a mighty good man
He’s a mighty mighty good man

Technically, Owen is more than just a man BUT to learn more you must purchase a copy and find out for yourself!

Karissa lives in North Carolina with her kid, her husband, the occasional in-law, and a very hairy husky named Bonnie. Some of her favorite things are coffee, dark chocolate, super heroes and Star Wars. She can quote Princess Bride verbatim. In the summer she’s camping, kayaking, and boating at the lake, and in the winter, she’s curled up with a good book.